New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-07-31

sometimes when 90 about city and observe
the wiekedness, tho misery, tho p"verty, the
selfsliuoss. that abound, feel like tying piece
of crare upon the handle OF every church DIOR
and depending this notice. In 'lssr- Of the year
of Cur Lord, this church OF our Lord, being
without works, died May the Lord have mercy
on it, 1 am more and more convinced every
day that the work in which we arc eucageh.
altLt Ugh incomparaby the greatest which can
command human activities. is worse organized
than any other work that is being done In South
| Endcrby I've already referred to the fire de-
partment; take another instance. The other
day l called the president OF one OF our
insurance companies at his Office. noticed back
of him Oh great shelves large number OF what
looked like great aliases, and ventureo 10 ASK
him what they were. He explained that tney
were books showing by maps all the properly
on all the streets Of South Enderby, and that oy
referring to them the company could judge OF
tie nature of the risk which IL would be called
fup0n to assume whenever any new insurance was
offered it, Suppose we had some scheme Vi
Christian work in operation which equaueo u'"o
for thoroughness don't you think, brethren, that
we could pray Thy Kingdom come with hveiier
fath?"
II favor your scheme remarked Brother
Ballagh. But how we going to find time
to put it in practice2 IL we undertake IL ana
it fznles out the laugh will not be on the churches
preparing two sermons q week, conducting u
Wednesday evening service, attending to pastoral
visitation, officiating at marriages and funerals,
and explaining to agents that have on hanu
all the maps of Palestine that really yearn for
/ say that with all this burden already on my
shoulders 1 hardly feel equal to assuming any
other. The spirit is willing, Middlemas, and the
flesh is pretty firm, but there are only twenty
four hours In day."
IL have thought OF that" said Middlemas,
but as 1 look at 1t what you regard as an
objection to the scheme Is one of its good features
For see II it is to be carried out we ministers
have got TO be greatly assisted by the members
of our churches. That will be an excellent tonic
for them. AS it is, there is tendency In our
churches toward delegated piety; the minister
single handed or with merely handful OF helpers
expected to bring forth works meet Tor the
faith of the entire congregation. Let THIS
scheme be put in force aud tho pcws as well as
the pulpits will be compelled TO bestir themselves
The result must necessarily be q marked increase
of Christian vigor, the Christian muscles OF the
town will be developed along with the physicai
muscles that swell in the gymnasiums. AS tor
us ministers, IL we find overwortcd under
the new system why, we can preach one sermon
a day instead Of two, and prohtaby devote the
other service to prayer, praise ana an iniorma,
interchange OF Christian hopes and experiences
The discussion In regard to the scheme con-
tinued until a late hour, and bliddlemas succeeded
before the company separated In inspiring all his
brethren with something OF his own enthusiasm
And when he told them that he had resigned his
charge with view To taking the general super
vision of the work and prepared 10 be the
servant-their general utility man as he expressed
t-of them all. they unanimously agreed to give
the scheme
| III.
So it happened that Matthew Mdtllemas's
experiment came 10 be tried in South Enderby.
What was the resuit2 Well, the milleD um was
not brought in, the devil was not driven OUT
bells on the South Enderby horses did not pear
the inscription Holiness 10 the Lord Nevertbe-
less before the new scheme had been In operation
n month IL was evident that n moral revolution
WIS in progress in the town. Liquor dealers
who had laughed at deied or made terms
with the police found that they could not stand
ND against the Christian Union. They saw that
10 fight IL WAS too big n contract since IL meant
fighting not some church, but the aroused
Christian sentiment OF the entire community.
And SO lauor compromised. The saloons that
were selling without license were compcfleu "
close; such pressure was brought 10 pear
from all sides on the Excise Commissioners mat
they revoked the licenses OF the worst OF the
others; the Sunday closing law was strictly en-
forced Realizing that where whisltcy sbounds
LIQUORS that cheer without inebriating should
much more abound the Union at half dozen
prominent points in the worst wards secured ,o's
wherein they erected coffee houses with reading
and chess rooms ana Other cOnIOrS hJnthcu.
These counter attractions aided by judlcious tenn
perence meetings and @ general distribution OF
good but not goody -goody temperance tracts anu
related appliances drove not a few othcr saioonS
out Of business and served 10 prevent the opening
of new ones The gamblers Jared sui WORSE
The fact that the Union thoroughly covered ,no
entire city made IL inevitable that the hauhcs
Of every one OF these gentry should be unearthed'
This ACCOMPLISHED, tie following circular WIS
mailed to them all
Headquarters Of the South Endcrby Christian Dnon
SOUTH ESDLKBf, May Ia, looo'
Mr.. JOHN DOE. -. a..
SIN. This Union which includes twenty of tnf
twcnty-ono churche, Of this city. Ia thoroughlS
organized and equipped for Christian WORK IN over,
part OF this community. IL learns througn W
accredited agents that you have faro bank u
operation at No street In violation OF the law
and In disregard Of the public morals. III w,tnn
three day. your place IL not closed you VIII b
nmmu,Iv proceeded against by the Union. which has
on It, side public sentiment, law, the best lega tch
in the State and abundant resources. Yours.
| The SOUTH EsDERBY CHRISTIAN UNION
| DER NJ ATTHEw MIDDLEMAs.
This did the business. The gamblers, saying
they would never retreat. retreatcd. Inc Oh'oh
found a more formidable foe in the proprietor Oh
one Of the great dry goods houses oil ooutn
Enderby This entcrprisng merchant was extern
sively advertising that he was selling the Up
Ton shirt at prices that delied competition Inc
price for the 1ip-Iop did defy competition; IL
also deled the wrctched women who maze INC
shirts TO keen the breath in their bodlcs-to say
nothing about living-unless they toiled sixteen
fun hours a day. Most OF the women employed
on the Tip-Top lived in Ward -Four in unspeaka'
. BILE tenement houses. The churches that were
responsible for Ward Four reported the houses tc
the Union and the Union made such an urgent
appeal to the Board OF Health and raised such =
storm OF popular Indignation through the pubic
) journals and public meetings that the offending
landlords were driven to rendering the tenements
healthy and fairly comfortable How TO redress
. the wage wrong Of tho sewing women was more
dinicult. The manufactures Of the np-lop shirt
stood well In the community, gave literally tt
charitable Objects and was regarded as one Of
our leading citizens" After debntng his ease
for some time the Union appointed committee
OF twenty one from each OF It's component parts
70 whit nnnn and resncOtfnllY demonstrate WIFI